Wine Advisor
Le Petit Cheval 2011
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The quality of Cheval Blanc’s second wine continues to go from strength to strength. For example, the 2011 Le Petit Cheval reveals savory, high-brow nuances along with black currant, black cherry, spice box and mineral notes. Round, generous and medium-bodied, this sleeper of the vintage is ideal for drinking over the next decade or more.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Representing just 20% of the total production (with 15% sold off in bulk), the Le Petit Cheval is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. It has a light, airy bouquet with dark berry fruit. There is just a touch of leafiness but it is fresh and well defined. The palate is a little chunky on the entry with grippy tannins. It is a little rustic and disjointed at the moment, although it should meld together with time. Leaving my glass for a few minutes it offers some attractive herbaceous/tertiary flavours towards the finish. This will probably drink over the next 5-8 years. Tasted April 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2011 Le Petit Cheval (75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc) is very Pomerol-like (not surprising since this vineyard sits on the Pomerol/St.-Emilion border). Abundant notes of berries, leafy underbrush, currants, plums and a hint of Asian spices are found in this attractive, fruit-forward effort. Enjoy it over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Bright medium red. Strawberry, redcurrant and violet on the nose. Juicy and vinous, with redcurrant and delicate coffee flavors showing good sweetness and plenty of early appeal. Finishes moderately long and a bit simple, with a hint of dusty minerals, repeating floral nuances and smooth tannins. A lovely wine expressing pristine aromas and flavors. Pierre Lurton and technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet told me that the final blend is 72% merlot and 28% cabernet franc (it was 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc during the Primeurs).
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(a blend of 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc): Bright ruby-red. Fruit-driven redcurrant and strawberry aromas on the perfumed nose. Straightforward and easygoing in the mouth, with juicy, very pure floral red berry flavors of average length and depth. One of the lighter-styled Petit Chevals of recent years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A wine with pretty balance of fruit and spices, with berry, hazelnut and cocoa. Full to medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Second wine of Cheval. Better in 2015.
About the Producer
This wine comes from the Saint-Emilion region on the right bank of Bordeaux, France. It is worth mentioning that, in view of the excellent quality and uniformity of the grapes, Château Cheval Blanc did not brew the second-brand wine in 2015. Except for a small part of wine for internal use that is not for sale, the remaining grapes are all used for wine production. Brew the real wine. The winery implements a rigorous and meticulous brewing process to minimize the use of chemicals to produce fresh, elegant, delicate and balanced wines. After the grapes are crushed, they are placed in small tanks with a capacity of 450 kg, after which the must flows into the fermenters by gravity flow (Gravity Flow). Depending on the weight of the must after crushing and the plot of origin, the winemaker will choose a different fermenter and only fill 3/4 of it. After 12 hours of alcoholic fermentation, the workers perform skinning three times a day. According to the daily tasting by the technical team and the cellar supervisor and the measurement data of the liquid hydrometer, the workers will gradually reduce the number of skins in the late fermentation period. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine is soaked in the skins for several days in temperature-controlled fermenters at 28-30°C to make the tannins more supple and the structure smoother. Afterwards, the wine liquid is transferred to a fermenter at 20°C for 3 weeks to several months of malolactic fermentation (Malolactic Fermentation) to soften the acidity and stabilize the structure. After all the fermentation processes are completed, the wine is transferred to new oak barrels and aged in an underground cellar with a constant temperature of 14°C for 16-18 months. The winemaker will change barrels at this stage, using inert gas to transfer the 210 liters of wine to adjacent oak barrels to minimize oxidation and maintain the balance of the wine. After aging in barrels for three months, the winemaker tastes the wine in each oak barrel, and then mixes the wine to prepare the current year's Cheval Blanc red wine.
1996(1)1999(1)2000(1)2001(1)2002(1)2003(3)2005(3)2007(2)2008(2)2009(3)2010(2)
Package Size
12 x 37.5cl12 x 75cl
